I was born in Indiana in 1946 and grew up in southern California. I graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 1968 with a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology and English. I received an M.L.S. (Master's in Library Science) in June, 1969 from the University of California, Los Angeles.
I was not in the military. I volunteered to go to Vietnam as a Department of the Army Civilian (DAC) after the Army Special Services recruiters came to the UCLA library school in the spring of 1969. Special Services administered the Army's morale and recreation programs which included library services. I left for Vietnam on August 30, 1969 from Travis Air Force Base California. In Vietnam
I spent two months managing the U.S. Army Headquarters Area Command (USAHAC) Library in downtown Saigon, and then was transferred to Cam Ranh Bay where I remained for the rest of my year. I was in charge of four libraries there, the Cam Ranh main post library, the 6th Convalescent Center library, the library at the headquarters of the 18th Engineers in Dong Ba Thin, and the library at Camp McDermott in Nha Trang. I left Vietnam on August 31, 1970.
When I returned to the United States, I left federal government employment and moved to Brooklyn, New York and later to New Jersey. In the ensuing years I worked in several public libraries in New York and New Jersey before accepting my present position in a community (junior) college. Since 1983, I have been the Associate Director of the County College of Morris Learning Resource Center in northern New Jersey.
I have answered some frequently asked questions about my time in Vietnam in my FAQ.. You can also read two other interviews with me at:
http://ssd1.cas.pacificu.edu/as/students/wviet/interv.html
http://www.west.ga.net/~stquesin/kelsey98.htm
Additional information about American women who served in Vietnam including personal narratives, bibliographies and reading lists, and a list of the American military and civilian women who died in Vietnam can be found at the following websites:
I can be reached on email using this mailing form.
Here is my list of Frequently Asked Questions